This meme was going around awhile back but I never picked up on it. But apparently a couple days ago was “Blog Day” where…
…on August 31st, bloggers from all over the world will
post recommendations of 5 new Blogs, preferably Blogs that are
different from their own culture, point of view and attitude. On this
day, blog readers will find themselves leaping around and discovering
new, unknown Blogs, celebrating the discovery of new people and new
bloggers.
I mostly read blogs of people I know, former classmates and things connected to my interests such as libraries and technology-related blogs. So I doubt there will be anything too surprising here. But anyhow…
1. JeromeMartin.ca – “A Journal of Photography, Publishing, Music, Technology and Travel”
– Jerome is the publisher of Spotted Cow Press in Edmonton. I met him during one of our annual Tri-Province Publisher's Forums when I worked for the Saskatchewan Publishers Group. He's into many of the same things I am – technology, books & publishing plus he's originally from Saskatchewan – so I always find something of interest to me in his well-written blog. (Interesting coincidence – his daughter was finishing at FIMS the semester I started. I didn't find this out until later and we never met in person but I found that she has a blog too. She's a librarian at the University of Windsor, I believe.)
2. Giant Political Mouse
– a lefty blog mostly concerned with Saskatchewan politics. I wonder if Saskatchewan has the most political-related blogs per capita in the country. It sometimes feels like it.
3. The Rude Pundit
– another political blog, this one focused on the US. “Rude” doesn't quite do justice to this blogger's writing style – if foul language and/or discussion of the gimp that Karl Rove keeps in the White House basement offends you, don't say I didn't warn you!
4. The Lefsetz Letter
– lots of good commentary on the current state of the music business by a blogger I discovered watching “The Hour” with George Alphabet. Has the extra ranty goodness of RANDOM ANGRY CAPITALIZATION!
5. Carpe Diem Chris
When FIMS PhD student, Chris Dixon died earlier this summer, I wrote about my connection to him and about how news of his passing affected me more than I thought it would have. Later, I was sent an e-mail by his wife (who he'd married less than a year earlier) which said that she'd started a blog to commemorate Chris' life.
I've written a lot about how I'm intrigued by the concept of “Digital Footprints” and this is another manifestation – how, prior to the digital age, grief and mourning was a private act but now, it is something that is public, not just for family and friends but anybody who happens to hit the “Random” button on Blogger at the right time.
Sandra writes about this new development herself:
This morning's G&M had an interesting story entitled The Modern Way of Mourning
which discusses changes in North American mourning – from private to
public – as embodied in things such as roadside memorials for accident
victims and Facebook tributes. I too am a participant in this change by
creating this blog in memory of Chris where friends and family can
share stories and grief. I must admit that I am still conflicted by
this decision to “let it all hang out”.
Is this a good or a bad thing? Unsurprisingly if you've read this blog for very long, I think this is (potentially) a great thing – if done right. What is right? Hard to say as the line will be different for everyone. But I think memorial blogs/web sites shouldn't be too maudlin, they shouldn't make the deceased into a flawless, perfect creature and it shouldn't be abandoned after one or two posts.
The posts that Sandra has made so far have been a perfect embodiment of what I think a memorial blog should be. By including old photos and anecdotes from friends and family as well as her own personal thoughts and insights, I feel like I know Chris in a way that I probably never would've otherwise, even if we'd known each other for years. The posts so far have been, by turn, fun, heart-warming and crushingly sad.
It's beyond obvious to say that it's unfortunate that somebody has to die to get this level of insight about them. But just as the name of that blog implies, it's also a reminder to all of us to seize the day.
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